State of Gold
State of Gold
Podcast Description
Restoring the California Dream One Bold Idea at a TimeCalifornia was once a beacon of prosperity, hope and innovation – symbolized by the Gold Rush, Hollywood and Silicon Valley. Today it’s the least affordable state in the nation and plagued by poverty, homelessness, and sky-high taxes. How did we get here, and how do we turn California around?State of Gold is a media platform and citizens’ movement dedicated to restoring the California dream. Host and longtime real estate and tech executive Jon Slavet combines practical wisdom and insurgent energy, as he sits down with voices from across the spectrum. The show will examine and promote the best ideas from any corner to solve the state’s most pressing issues. State of Gold cuts through the noise to explore what’s gone wrong in the Golden State – and what it’ll take to make things right.www.stateofgold.com
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast explores various themes such as housing affordability, budget crises, education reform, and government transparency. Episodes delve into topics like the detrimental impacts of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) on housing, the state's financial issues as discussed by Arnold Schwarzenegger's former budget director, and the issues of government oversight highlighted by a young assemblyman. The show's focus is on presenting actionable ideas to restore the California dream.
Restoring the California Dream One Bold Idea at a Time
California was once a beacon of prosperity, hope and innovation – symbolized by the Gold Rush, Hollywood and Silicon Valley. Today it’s the least affordable state in the nation and plagued by poverty, homelessness, and sky-high taxes. How did we get here, and how do we turn California around?
State of Gold is a media platform and citizens’ movement dedicated to restoring the California dream. Host and longtime real estate and tech executive Jon Slavet combines practical wisdom and insurgent energy, as he sits down with voices from across the spectrum.
The show will examine and promote the best ideas from any corner to solve the state’s most pressing issues. State of Gold cuts through the noise to explore what’s gone wrong in the Golden State – and what it’ll take to make things right.
www.stateofgold.com
Guest:
Joel Kotkin, Chapman University Professor
Guest Bio:
Joel Kotkin is a renowned urban studies scholar, author, and fellow in urban futures at Chapman University. His work has appeared in Forbes, The Daily Telegraph, City Journal, and more. A longtime Californian, Kotkin has spent decades analyzing demographic trends, class shifts, and political transformations shaping the Golden State. His recent commentary focuses on the decline of middle-class opportunity, rising costs of living, and the unintended consequences of progressive policy.
Show Summary
What happened to the California Dream? In this powerful conversation, Joel Kotkin joins Jon Slavet to unpack the root causes of California’s middle-class crisis. From skyrocketing housing costs and regressive climate policies to the rise of oligarchic politics and the exodus of working families, Kotkin makes a compelling case for how the state lost its promise — and what it will take to restore it.
He also calls out how the YIMBY movement, climate dogma, and one-party rule are shaping a state that serves the ultra-wealthy and subsidized poor — while leaving the middle class behind. If you care about California’s future, this is essential watching.
Chapters
00:00 – California's Middle-Class Collapse
01:10 – Kotkin on Coming to California in the 1970s
03:00 – Climate Policy: Idealism or Ideology?
05:00 – Who Really Pays for Green Mandates
06:30 – Why Reform Feels Impossible
08:00 – Billionaire Tax and Class Warfare
09:30 – Government Growth and Wealth Redistribution
11:00 – Why the Rich Get Richer in California
13:00 – California's Startup Problem
15:00 – Why the Middle Class Can't Stay
16:00 – The YIMBY Agenda Critiqued
18:00 – King for a Day: Kotkin’s First Fix
19:30 – The Closing Thought: Potential vs. Ruin
Connect with Joel Kotkin
- Twitter: https://x.com/joelkotkin?lang=en
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@joelkotkin
- Substack: https://joelkotkin.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-kotkin-1883922/
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Connect with State of Gold
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